Electrical stop-motion mechanism for knitting-machines



(No Model.) l 3 sheets-sheet 1;

E. Gr. GONNER.

ELECTRICAL STOP vMOTION MEGHANISM POR KNITTING MAGHNBS. No. 397,537. Patented Feb. 12,1889.

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(No Model.)

E.-G. CONNBR. ELBOTRIOAL STOP MOTION MBOHANISM POR KNITTING MAOHINBO.

NO. 397,537. Patented Peb. 12, 1889.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(NoModel.)

E. Gr. GONNER. i ELECTRICAL STOP MOTON MBGHANISM POR KNITTING IMLMHINLPS.. No. 397,537. lmiz'ented Feb. 12, 1889.

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UiTnn STATES PATENT Trice.

EDVARD G. CONNER, OE VALATIE, ASSIGNOR TO TOMPKINS BROTHERS,

` OF TROY, NEV YORK.

ELECTRICAL STOP-MOTION MECHANISM FOR KNlTTlNG-NIACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,537, dated February 12, 1889.

Application tiled January 30, 1885. Serial No. 154,421. (No model.)

To all 'whom 'it may coll/cern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. CONNER, of Valatie, Columbia county, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Stoplotion Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Uy invention relates to electrical stop-motion mechanism for knitting-inachines5 and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts and their agroup ment with electrical forces or means, as will be hereinafter more fully specified, and especially as the same is pointed out in the claims.

I have .fully illustrated my improvements in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l shows a side elevation of a part of a knittingmachine cylinder and a part of its needles with my improved stop motion applied thereto, the latching mechanism, the magnet and armature operating the same being shown in comparatively a larger proportion than the other parts. This ligure also illustrates the connection of the pivoted ship-A ping-lever with the latching mechanism, and also a means for operating the latching mechanism when a hole occurs in the web. Fig. 2 shows a top view of the parts shown at Eig. l, but without the comparative enlargement of some of the parts shown therein. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the frame and inclosure containing the circuit-closing mechanism. Eig. 4 a longitudinal section of the mechanism shown at Fig. Fig. 5 is a top view of the inc'losure containing the circuitclosing plate and a pivoted drop-lever which operates it, the inclosure being shown with the cover which incloses the parts at the top removed. Fig. 0 shows as detached a perspective of a pivoted lever consinucted to rest on the yarn passing to the needles and to ltall when the yarn breaks to release in falling a pivoted drop-lever that operates a circuitclosing plate. Fig. 7 shows as detached a perspective of the pivote/d lever which operates the circuit-closing plate. Fig. S is a plan view of the means for mechanically stopping the knitting-machine by engagement with the web when a hole is produced therein, the parts being shown more in detail than they are in Eig. 2.

The' several parts of the mechanism thus illustrated are designated by letter reference,l

and the function of the parts is described as follows:

The letter T designates the knitting-machine table, C its cylinder, N the needles, and Y the yarn passing to the needles.

The letters W and W2 designate the circuit wires leading to a battery, (not showin) and the letter M designates a bracket attached to the machinetable by a bolt passing through it and the table side, as indicated at h6 of Eig. 3. This bracket y at its upper end is forked so as to produce the upcast standards f6 f6, as indicated at Eig. 3, and the bottom of this bracket is made with an inclosure, E, as indicated at Figs. a and 5.

The letters to and url designate wirehold ers, each of which is provided with a set-screw, t0, to connect andkeep in place one ot the circuit-wires. The letter D designates a circuitclosing plate made of thin sheet metal that has a weak spring capacity.

The letter s designates a screw passed through one end ot` this plate and into an insulating-tube, t2, arranged within the inclosure E, so as to pass through the bottom of the latter and extend below it with said screw s, where below the insulating-tube connecting with the wire-holder ic. From 'where thus attached at one of its ends the plate D is bent downward and extended laterally', so as to rest on the top of the shorter screw, S7, which latter extends downward through an insulating-tube, t3, the latter being also within the inclosure E and extended downward through the bottom of the latter, and where said screw extends below said insulating-tube t3 it connects with the wire-holder afl. As thus arranged, when the plate D is down on the screw ST, the circuit is made between the wires bythe plate D; but when the latter is raised up from off the screw sl the circuit is broken. This plate D is made with a shoulder or jog projected from one of its sides, as indicated at j4, Fig. 5.

The letter A2 designates a circuit-closing drop-lever that is made with a pivotal rod, r4,

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the latter having its bearings at lf b in the opposite sides ot' the inclosure E, and being ure E, and so as to engage with the shoulder of the plate D on the under side of the latter thereat. As thus constructed, when the arm e of this drop-lever is raised up to a vertical position, then the offset arm e3 engages with the under side of the shoulderjl on the plate D to raise the latter from oit the screw 37, thus keeping the circuit broken and open with the lever-arm in the position shown at Fig. 3, and the plate D, as shown by the dotted line d at Fig. 4; but when the arm e falls or turns downwardly from a vertical position, as indicated by the dotted line d5 of Fig. 3, then the plate D descends onto the screw 37, as shown at Fig. 4, and the circuit is closed.

The letters c c designate pins that are projected from the side of the bracket M, as indicated at Fig. 3, they serving to regulate the distance which the arm c shall move around and the measure of its pivotal rods rotation, said arm being arranged between said pins. The letter A designates an arm made with trunnion-bearings b2 b2, adapted to journal in the inner and opposite faces of the standards f f, as indicated at ln n. At its end most remote from its hinged connection this arm A is bent to form a curve, lf., so as to rest thereat upon the passing yarn. At its end nearest to its hinging-conneetion it projects beyond the latter, as indicated at d5. lV here thus extended the arm a holds up in a vertical position, by contact with its side and at its upper end, the drop-lever A2, as shown at Fig. 3. Thus arranged, so long as the yarn `remains intact on which the end 7i', rests, lthe other end, c, of the arm A will hold up the drop-lever and keep the circuit broken; but it' the yarn breaks, then the outer curved end, 7,1, falls. This releases the drop-lever A2, and the circuit is closed through the holder a6, the spring-plate D, and the holder w'f.

The letters Kl and G indicate yarn-guides. The letter S designates a pivoted belt-shipper lever, which is pivoted at p1, as indicated by the dotted line Z of Fig. and the letter I designates a spring, which at its inner end is connected at Z2 to a fixed point, and at its outer end is connected to said belt-shipper lever. This latter is drawn out against the force of the spring I (until the post h on said lever abuts against the bracket h on the under side of the bracket R) to put on the belt which operates the knitting-machine cylinder, and thus held by a catch, and when unlatched then the spring draws in the lever and automatically throws oft the belt, this being a well-known means.

The letter (l2 designates a catch that is attached to the belt-shipping lever at c", and

then carried upwardly and inwardly toward the machine, and has vformed in its free end an openended slot, I, to engage with the lowerend ot' the latch L, as indicated at l in Fig. l.

The letter l? indicates a bar that is adapted to slide in the frame F, which bar at its outer end connects with a spring, m7, attached to the frame, and at its inner end is constructed with a stud, nl', that is adapted to receive a wheel, n, that runs on the surface of the web ws. .This wheel and the bar B2 form no part of my invention, and the wheel is shown in Fig. 8 only of the drawings.

Th e letter B: designates another bar adapted to slide outwardly and inwardly toward the web in the frame'F, and at its outer end provided with a spring, fm, that connects with the frame. This bar B3 on its end nearest the web is constructed with a blade, bl, adapted to run on the web, and should a hole be made in the latter, this blade engages with the web thereat to spring the latching mechanism and throw ot'f the belt. This bar B3, as shown and described, forms no part of the invent-ion herein claimed, but is used to operate the same latchin mechanism as the electrical mechanism, and independ ently from that containing my invention.

The letter L3 designates a vertically-arranged latch that is pivoted at p2, and is provided with a pin, p3, at its lower end adapted to rest across the slot in the end of the catch C2 of the belt-shipping lever, as indicated at Fig. l, and at its upper end this lever L3 is provided with a slot, s3, 1o receive alatch-pin, 234,011 the lower end of thelatch Ll. Thelatch L* is pivotally supported at y and has its upper end, 8, Vformed to engage with a notch, t, in the under edge ol' the latch L, and is held in vertical and locked posit-ion by the pressure of the catch C'2 in engagement with the lower end of the latch part L3, and the parts remain thus locked until the long arm ot' the latch L5 is raised by the armatureor otherwise high enough to release the end of the lever Ll trom engagement with the notch i", when the catch C2 is drawn inward by the spring l, as indicated in dotted lilies, and carries the lower end ot' latch L3 with it, thus breaking the connection of the latches L3 and Ll and stopping the machine. The latch L5 is pivoted at p, and is formed with a vertical arm, 6U", which contacts with or sits against the arm of a lever, 2, pivoted on. the frame F and having a forked end engaging with a pin on a guard, 3, on the bar B2. When the bar B2 is pressed back by an obstruction or by design, the arm of the lever 2 moves the arm ai and lifts the latch L5 from engagement with the lever Ll, thus bringing the stoppin g mechanism into operation. On the bar B"i is sen IOO IIO

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cured a guard, 4t, having a lateral projection, 5, which contacts or sets against the arm a, and when a rent or hole is made in the web the bar Bi is moved forward by its sprin g 'm4, causing' the projection on the guard to move the arm a, which lifts the latch L and releases the latch L4, breaking its connection with L3 and setting the stopping mechanism in operation. The bar B3 normally rests with its curved face end against the web, so that when a break occurs in the web the action of the spring slides the bar forward in thc hole in the web.

The letters Cl designate the helical magnet-coils, each one oi' which is connected with one of' the wires V IW, leading to a battery, with the plate D ot' the inclosure E forming, when down on thescrew S7, a part ot' the circuit.

The letter AL designates the armature, and N the armaturc-lever, which is pivoted at pg, the latter being curved upwardly from where pivoted, so that when the magnet is not excited the outer end, g4, of' this armature-lever N3 will rest under the pin if of the latch L5; but when the circuit is closed and the magnet made active, then the magnet will draw down the magnet end of' the armature-lever and torce upward the other end, lifting the latch L5, and thus release the hold that the latter has on the upper end ot' the latch L4 and al` low the force of the spring on the shippinglever to throw down the latch L and release the engagement of the latter and the catch C2 of' the shipping-lever, and thus throw oit' the belt.

lhe letter .l indicates a standard upon which the latching mechanism, the bars .B2 B3, the magma-coils, and the magnet armature and lever are supported.

'lhe function of the inclosure E is to contain and keep f'ree from floating' dust and flocks the plate l), and to insure a perfect closing of the circuit by means ot' said plate.

As the plate D is constructed and arranged to open and close an electrical circuit in connection with the dropJever A2 and pivoted arm A', operated by the yarn intact to keep the circuit open, and when broken to close the circuit, these parts perform a specific office, and this oiliee would be the same whether applied to operate such a latching mechanism as I illustrate or some other; hence I do not limit my invr-mtion to these factors, as I construct and arrange them to their combination with thc particular latching mechanism that l illustrate and describe.

As a latchng mechanism provided with a magnet having an armature and armaturelever that is pivoted, and which lever when the magnet was excited would trip a latching mechanism and release the belt-shipper,

would perform this function, whether the circuit-closing means was that which I illustrate and describe or some other circuit-clos ing means, I do not limit my invention of these factors, as I arrange and combine them to their combination with the circuit-closing mechanism that I illustrate and describe.

The particular advantage arising from the use of the electrical stop-motion herein described is that it operates instantaneously with the breaking of the yarn and prevents very promptly the difficulty occasioned by it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

i. The combination of the arm A', the droplever A2, the wire-holders tu and wi, and the circu it-closin g plate D, arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination ot' the bracket M, formed with the inclosure E, the drop-lever A?, mounted onv the bracket and provided with a tappet on its pivotal rod within the said inclosure, the hinged arm A, constructed and arranged to engage with the lever A2, the wire-holders w 'm7, and the plate I), all substanti ally as described.

3. The comljiination of the belt-shipping lever S, provided with a catch, U2, and spring I, the pivoted latch L, for/med to engage with the catch C2 at its lower end, and formed with a slot, s3, in the upper end, the latch L", having a pin, p, to engage the slot in the latch L3, the latch L5, `formed to. engage with and hold thelatch Ll in vertical position, the pivotcd armature A", having a lever-arm, Ng, themagnet (LL1 C5, wires in connection with the said magnet, and a circuit-closing mechanism interposed in said wires and arranged to normally hold the circuit broken and to close the circuit when a break occurs in the yarn, substantially as and f'or the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the spring-actuated beltshipping lever, catch (l2, and alatch mechanisnnljl, L, and lf', to hold said lever in position with the belt in place to turn the machine, of an. eleetro-magnet provided with an armature' having a lever-arm to' engage the latch of the belt-shipping lever in cennection with said magnet, and a circuit-closing mechanism interposed in the wires ofthe circuit and arranged to close said circuit when a break occurs in the yarn, all substantiall y as 'lescribed, and for the purpose stated.

Signed at Troy, N ew York, this 3d day of January, i885, and in presence oi' the witnesses whose names are hereto written.

EDWARD G. CONNER.

\Vitnesses:

STANLEY M. HOLDEN, GEO. M. PAYFORD.

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